Professional Sinners
by Nadia Blackrose
Summary: When mysteriously summoned in a strange world, Gillian has but to accept one task in order to return back to her universe. However, things are not what they seem, as she's opposed by her consciousness, while a new threat endangers both worlds. Seto x OC
1. The mind maelstrom

_First and foremost, I'm eternally thankful to Dreamer of Legends who's one of my most favourite authors on this site, and I feel really honoured to have my writing checked by her. Please, I want you to know that I've made some additions, so if you find some mistakes, they are all on my account._

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_**PROFESSIONAL SINNERS**  
_

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_**~Chapter 1~**_

_**The mind maelstrom**_

Little did she know about her victim. In fact, he was a total stranger. It was the first, and most certainly it would be the last time she'd see his face, not closely either, but from quite a distance. It was only the information she had been given about his airs and graces, his inexcusable crimes towards innocent people in pursue of fulfilling his high ambitions, at all costs. A godless man with unholy purposes. The average, typical businessman who wants to make a name for himself, without further thoughts of eventually meeting his nemesis. Never, ever can his thirst for power be quenched, nor tamed. For greed is a nasty, foul creature that lures all men in it's tempting, illusionary semblance. And this time, he would pay the price of his vanity with his own very life...

She was not the spitting image of pure innocence, either. Definitely, despite the blonde, golden hair and the blue eyes with shades of emerald green, an angel was not depicted through her face.

Not at all. In fact, she was far from being an angel. An angel in disguise, or to be more precise, a devil dressed in angelic colours.

A holy terror.

It was only her task to carry through this operation, an obligation she would have easily turnt down, if things were different. Very different. And actually, she would have eagerly preferred a honourable battle with her victim, instead of aiming at his head from a distance, with a sniper rifle at her disposal. Destined to kill him she was, swiftly, the same way lightning injures the solid surface of the earth, setting the sky ablaze in it's horrific sparks .

A fool's errand, that it was.

The crowd was cheering for the up and coming mayor of Domino City, who was now making an outstanding speech. Bathed in praises and acclamations he was, though little did they appeal to him. Silly loud screams of a mindless crowd, he considered it, yet that silly crowd would serve his purposes by casting it's vote on him. Even the rabid fan girls who so much gave him on his nerves would play a significant role on the victory of his. And they were lots of them, more than sure.

Behind his vocal chords, his overboastful laughter could be heard, simply by noticing the conceited expression on his divine-sculptured face. Cold as a stone, handsome as a king-like statue, posing in all his majesty unleashed.

Seto Kaiba.

That was his name. And soon he would be lying in a pool of blood, his body drowning and chocking in his blood. Without further notice.

Dead. Killed at the zenith of his glory, fame and youth, right before his very fanclub, before his voters, before his dearly beloved younger brother, Mokuba...

Only that young boy could make a difference, had she been aware of his existence and his role in Kaiba's life... Had she been aware... But she wasn't, and the time was up. Already, she had prolonged his imminent death by waiting and waiting, hesitating and making up excuses to herself, as if a miracle was bound to happen the next second, and she waited this perfect moment to come...

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turnt to a whole half an hour.

What the hell was she waiting for?

To no avail. This world was not full of miracles, was all she could presume. Pity for him, to be gone at such a young age, she thought acrimoniously, though never wearing off that poker-face expression dwelling on the surface. Nonetheless, reading between the lines, scepticism was ravaging her inner world, feelings of doubt, hesitation and guilty infiltrating her mind, playing havoc with it...

All her life was dependable on this critical night, the lives of the people she loved the most, as well...Therefore, she allowed herself only one last thought...

_''Will I be written in history as the unknown person who killed th__is__ world's most famous CEO...?'' _she muttered before she shut her tensed eyelashes, hand heedfully placed upon the trigger, ready to shoot and change this world's balance, once and for all...

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**Two days ago...**

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Rain was pouring down the streets. For some people, it was believed to be the tears of the god, washing away all the sins of mankind, the sorrows and pain nesting upon the human hearts. Easily said, and conceded by the ones who had a home to stay, and enjoy this marvellous act of god from their windows.

The moon was hidden behind the dense, raging clouds dropping their tremendous waters, small droplets falling altogether, creating streams spread around the city, flowing smoothly throughout the empty roads at night.

She was wet, her long, wavy blond hair falling in a soaking mess around her waist. It used to be nicely done up, but now it lay ruined, messed up due to the cold wind. It stuck to her skin like a leech; dripping raindrops that fell to the liquid ground. Her body was elegantly dressed in a dark purple uniform, thoroughly soaked, now so dark it was almost black. Her cold blue and emerald eyes were illuminated by the flashes of lightning sparkling across the sky.

Eyes of a cat. Or tiger suited her better?

Under different circumstances, she would been able to discover a sheltered place sooner, but this time the trick couldn't work for her because she belonged to a different, faraway world. Thus, she possessed no knowledge of the new surroundings, at least not yet.

Who was to be held responsible for this mess?

How or when, she couldn't tell, not even remember the slightest bit of it. It was all a blur, an obscurity painted by the shadows of confusion and ignorance. Thought could bring nothing that very moment, especially when being all alone, wandering into the murky corners of the streets, looking for a place to sleep temporarily, just to make for the night. Was she really that lonesome, though?

Out of the blue, a single call was formed by her fine shaped lips.

"Sacred? Minotaur, are you here?"

Silence, frightening silence all around her. Indeed, she was walking on solitary ground...

It was only her voice that echoed in the middle of nowhere, no response to be offered to her by her extraordinary companions. Her double Guardian Force, the spirit of a strong monster with whom she could communicate directly, did nothing. Brothers was this spirit's name, consisting of two almighty beasts named Sacred, the eldest brother, and Minotaur, the young one. Though you 'd have a hard time in finding who's the younger one, since their ages contradict their appearance and size. Yes, you guessed it right, Sacred is too small compared to Minotaur, and that's a bit funny thing to discover. The brothers was a guardian force with the ability to control the powers of the earth, reform the ground, or just shake it from it's very roots. Once, it guarded the tomb of an unknown king, then got liberated by a great man and his companions...The rest is of little value to be mentioned. Let's just say that finally the brothers met her, she fought them, won, and they chose to aid her in battle.

But that wasn't it all. The brothers were not only a fighting tool of her, but also her only friends remained. And most extraordinarily, she could communicate with them, speak with them every time she wanted, and longed.

It sounded fairly plain and simple, but it wasn't.

Special Ability was considered a gift of hers, for which she could be mistaken as a sorceress, once misunderstood, always feared for that unique skill she possessed.

She kept on being persistent, calling for their names in a steady voice now and then.

Nothing but grave silence once more.

The Brothers did not respond, causing her to wonder what was wrong with her, questioning herself to whether she had lost her ability or it was just the different world that imposed an obstacle to their communication. This had never happened before. Ever since they got to be together, they were always talking, all three of them, let alone in critical situations such like this.

This wasn't all that good... Nonetheless, she didn't give up, neither did she feel any sign of fear emanating from her, for she possessed another invaluable, reliable companion to protect her in case of any possible danger. Her gunblade was positioned in the small of her back, an almighty sword with a trigger upon it, useful for both close combats and distant ones. She was proud of being the only female gunblade wielder, (quite big-headed about it, in fact,) and she could be sarcastic and irritating at times. She deserved to be praised, though if it wasn't for her aloof personality, she could be very well-liked.

"I only talk through my blade..." she'd been saying for a long time, admitting to her violent instincts that always ached for adventures and fights back in her world, dealing mostly with fearful monsters, taking all the glory to keep for herself.

However, things were utterly different now.

There was no place to be hunting for fiends or dead guardian forces, no dark powers could be sensed haunting her steps, so she kept on walking in her high heeled boots, (adding to her 5'7 about 2 inches, totaling in an impressive 5'9,) until she found a small alley that led to a dead end, blocked by a wooden fence even she couldn't climb over. Thinking this to be a good a spot as any, she curled up to rest for a couple of hours.

The rain ceased to water the roads, the buildings, and the streets of Domino City soon after. Silence fell upon the empty roads, small drops falling to the ground now and then... It was no sooner than the rain had stopped that footsteps could be heard from a distance, shoes hitting the concrete sidewalk and making a heavy sound.

She was alert instantly, stimulating her senses in a rapid pace, prepared as she was to encounter a possible threat. Quick reflexes and high andrenaline was nothing less than her second nature. She quickly hid behind a trash can, hand placed at her back, ready to draw the gunblade at any minute, if necessary, in order to catch the stranger by surprise.

She kept lurking in the dark, patiently waiting for his imminent arrival into her line of sight. And there he went, a youthful man with long white hair, wearing a mysteriously glinting ring around his delicate neck. It was swinging gracefully, reflecting the pale moonlight, an enchanting pure gold glow... Most definitely, millions of gold-diggers would put their lives in peril only to touch this obviously alluring item of his. Wasn't he afraid to be walking with this thing put in display that time of night without getting detected by thieves and vagabonds? Unless he was that kind of criminal, too...

He stood still, in the faint light of the alley, standing impressively like a Greek god, his tall figure followed by an even taller shadow, his brown eyes flickering upon the tentative shades, motionless, as if waiting for someone to come, too. He looked around, observing the area, as if sensing he's not all alone. Out of the blue, he formed a sinister smile, a voice so loud and harsh that could freeze your very blood to the bone by his command.

"Show yourself, Gillian Thunderstone, you've been called."

Called? By who? And why?

She nearly gasped in surprise, shocked by the sudden calling of her name, a challenge so formidable and tempting she couldn't refuse. Neither had she ever turned down any challenge like a silly chicken, let alone when this strange opponent knew her name, for some reason yet to be explained.

Gillian returned to her normal body position, took a step out of the trash can and walked before him, smiling arrogantly at the sight of that weird looking man until she burst out in derisive laughter, and it was obvious that she was pretty annoying to him.

"What are you laughing at, you foolish girl?" he hissed.

She went closer to him, not smiling anymore, glaring at him, ready to insult him in her disrespectful manner. Quick reflexes, we mentioned before.

"What happened to your hair? Pitiful, isn't it, to be like this at such a young age?" she said in a quarelsome way, being an exceptional person when it came into pissing off people. Definitely, she was most likely to say more, hadn't it been for her eagerness to solve the mystery of the place she had found herself, unexpectedly, undoubtedly the work of a magic power...

The man clenched his teeth, profoundly angry by her lame comments on his appearance, sick to death by such a terrible behavior, something that did not affect her at all, as she was running out of patience while waiting to get a reply from his mouth.

"Seems you're ignorant to whom you're dealing with, Gillian. I could have sent you to the shadow realm, but you've got some potential worthy of my interest."

She didn't lose her temper, just laughed in a conceited way that might cause your spine to shiver in fear. She had met an interesting person to make fun of, if not rob him, Convenient it was, pretty much.

"Yes, I've got full potential to be given, only when I myself desire to do so."

The man looked quite amused by her boastful self-estimation, thus he longed to hear more.

"What kind of deal do I happen to have with you? Look, guy, it's simple. You know my name and I know nothing about your pathetic being, so speak of yourself at last. Don't bother offending me, I'm thick-skinned enough."

The man was impressed by her attitude, pleased to have encountered a person as wicked as him, especially when it happened to be a female so close to his thoughts, so capable of serving his evil schemes. Had he met his match, at last? No, he wouldn't think so. Because Gillian was a plain mortal being whereas he was a tremendous spirit, gifted with an even greater force that no one would like to meet. And if so, no one would live to tell the tale...

"Very well. To start with, we have something in common: you are a guardian force hunter, isn't it the name the spirits are called in your world? I am a soul hunter, possessing the body of a boy named Bakura, feel free to call me like this."

Too much knowledge he possessed about her world for being a stranger to her. Not that she was capable of remembering all the faces walking a whole planet, that was beyond human perception and ability. If only her guardian force was there, she'd be informed in less time than an earthquake strikes and shakes the ground beneath your very feet. Abashed she felt for herself, for the thought that she relied too much on them, maybe. Of course, this would never be revealed to that man, exposed as she was to his sight, till she eventually found out what he really wanted from her, and why all this fuss, if indeed he was the one who summoned her.

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously, focusing on his body language, struggling to determine the difference between the truth and the lies coming out from his mouth, as she kept on listening to what he had to say.

"Now, let's get straight to the point. You are to assassinate a well known man, as despicable as you are, then, you'll be able to return safely to your world. No questions asked, no accusations made since no one will ever find you."

Having heard his intriguing, if a bit insane proposal, a common thought crossed her head immediately: if he possessed such a tremendous magical power, why wasn't he able to do it himself? He had even managed to drag a stranger like her to his unknown world, and trap her like a fly caught in a spiders web, let alone using this power to cause harm or serious damage.

Unreasonable, outrageous, and sickening were his words, single drops of poison contaminating the air, and everything that would stand next to him...

Maybe he wasn't skillful enough like he claimed to be, or wasn't actually the person he had stated. Why did she have to trust those flickering eyes, those brown oceans of infinite lies and scorn?

Besides that, who would ensure her of going back to her own world? Not him. Surely not.

She stayed thoughtful, conquered by anxiety, even a slight trace of an ominous feeling won over her irrevocable presence of mind, because the occasion was much unlike any other she had ever coped with already...

**A/N It would be really encouraging for me if you left me some feedback, including mainly constructive criticism towards my way of writing, and I'd love to know if I used the new vocabulary I've learnt properly. Your advice would mean a lot to me, because I want to improve and provide you with a much better reading experience. Thanks for your visit, hope you'll enjoy the rest of the parts, too.**


	2. Absent without leave

_This is the second instalment of the story. Previously, as you have noticed, the story begins **In Medias Res, **which means ''in the middle of things''. To be more specific, the prologue in the first chapter is set in the middle of the entire story, meaning that a flashback will take place in the following chapters, till the sixth one, as I reckon. From there, when Gillian reaches the time event mentioned in the prologue, the rest of the story will start flow naturally till the end of it._

_Also, from this chapter and now on you'll be introduced to an unknown man, whose name I don't intend to give right away for the suspense of the story. When a reference is made upon him, the corresponding pronoun will be underlined, just as I did._

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Life keeps on growing colder year by year  
With a winter heart and my frozen tears  
I stand lone to face my darkest fears

I' ve been wasting away, I' ve been fading inside  
I' ve been drifting away from the lights in my life  
I' ve been living in vain, living insane  
I' ve been tripping down all the darkest of lanes

I' ve been drifting away from days of light  
I' ve been swept away far into the night  
I guess I'll never ever make it back

_**Absent without Leave, Sirenia**_

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**Chapter 2**

**Absent without leave  
**

"I'm not a criminal, you ignorant fool. I kill whatever stands in my way, particularly monsters as I am a Guardian Force hunter, but not people..." she gulped. "At least not the ones that pose of no obstacle to me. Not anymore..." she almost said under her breath, avoiding the last sentence to be heard.

Bakura laughed viciously at her statement, amused and entertained. That was the person he had been looking for, beyond any doubt and wonder. Will of steel, heart made of pure stone and elegant movement, keen on remaining stealth. All these three were the ingredients for a successful assassin to come into rise. Not to forget the antipathetic, ill mannered character she carried within this -all in all- attracting female vessel named her body.

Kooky, that was the perfect word to describe such a strange and weird person.

There was something in her face that granted her some kind of a wild beauty, opposing to the fact that when a smile illuminated her face, she looked like an innocent ethereal young woman. Such a thing could not be seen right now, of course, firstly because she had no reason to smile, and secondly she was still in a total mess.

Every glare of her could petrify even the most lethal basilisk. Every single word spoken by her mouth depicted a cruel person indeed, a killing machine that would wholeheartedly terminate lives in no time. The perfect match, the perfect sinner he had found.

Not randomly though, not by pure luck.

Was he proved to be wrong by her adamant and striking refusal?

It was both challenging and irritating for him not to get the answer her craved for, hence he replied.

"So, what's your problem? No fear can be detected in your mortal soul, not the faintest indecision into slaughtering when it comes to your fullfiling your morals.'' he blinked an eye, astounding her, thereafter gave her a piercing stare and went on : ''See this opportunity as your ticket back to your adventurous world, where you'll have the free will to hunt, once again. Isn't that good enough for you?"

Tempting was his voice, promising and smooth, inexplicably. Still not persuasive. Lies, was all she could assume clearly.

But even if he was sincere, his proposal wasn't good enough. Returning safe and sound was an option, returning back with more bloodstained hands than she had already was a curse that she despised. She wasn't proud of her past actions, though them belonging to the older self of her, the part she had changed dramatically. Because of him, and no one else.

"No. Stop insisting on your pathetic plans!" she retorted abruptly, him taken aback by her refusal, presuming that she logically demanded more to be rewarded for this typical action of hers.

"Don't you get it or do you lack a brain, pal? I said I don't kill people!" she screamed towards him, her voice harsh and aggressive that provoked him badly. And there he went for the jugular, considering this as his last option available.

"Is your promise strong enough to keep your word to him? Since when have you become so soft and out of character?" he spoke in riddles that could be understood only by her.

She flew off the handle, he knew too much of her, and they had only just met! What was he, really, to have gotten so much info?

In actuality, little did he know , she just took the bait, like the prey is naturally lured, killed and eventually consumed by it's predator,

After all, she was only a mortal being, and it goes without saying that every mortal thing walking this very earth bears weaknesses...

"Don't you ever dare to mention his name, before you even try you'll have your tongue cut off!" she threatened viciously, her voice so sharp like her blade.

He only laughed, and doubted the statement of her being a thick-skinned person indeed, now that he had found her weakest spot.

She was exposed by committing such a reckless and inexcusable mistake. Showed herself without the shell. And that was simply unforgivable.

Bakura was not the least bit startled, or interested, and hardly could keep a straight face. He stayed silent for a while, feasting his eyes on the anger painted at her face, eyes sparkling and flashing. Two blue-green bulbs burning with rage and shame altogether, lips curled in despair and agony, betraying the rest of her inner turmoil, when the conversation turned to that man. And the worst was yet to be said by him.

"I've never seen a sinner worse than you, Gillian, you're the one that should be dead for having felt like this for him."

Yes, she had felt like that for him, feelings so forbidden they hurt. Only her knew how long it took her to get over them, a memory now that only caused her shame and disgust for her very being.

It had to stop, she wouldn't allow the ghosts of her past being used by him just to throw off her inner equilibrium. He had no right to do that.

"It's none of your business, all the more.'' she grinned, thereafter tried to change the subject, and return to the first place, about his proposal. ''More sadly, you're out of the topic. I want money if I am to accept your silly and lame recommendation." said to the top of her head.

"Money? Our money will be of no use to you once you finish this job. But I have a better offer, you'll get something you've lost right now."

She kept on staring at him suspiciously, anticipating the possibility of a lie, for she could sense something fishy in his obviously ridiculous bluffing, one that still could not make sense at all. Nonetheless, nothing was reasonable enough to explain why she had been here in the first place, thus it wouldn't bother her to get accustomed to the new environment for a while, possibly it might be fun, even challenging to meet some new encounters.

Bakura began strolling around her motionless body, glaring at those hair-raising blue eyes burning ferociously while looking back at his, her body always in defensive position, bound to attack and declare a fierce battle, just to show him who's the boss.

"You don't believe me, don't you? Only by accepting should you be able to learn the plan, and find the way back. It's a one way road you have to take, no options are available for you. Think wisely, otherwise you'll regret it."

That was it, her wrath had been set free, her body no longer could be controlled by the impeccable feelings of madness and fury.

"There are always options!" she growled brutally and drew her gunblade after she had kicked him violently down to the ground, removing with her sword that impressive ring of his, only to witness an unconscious young boy looking at her in desperate fear that almost pleaded her mercy. He spoke, in a voice very different from before.

"Please, don't kill me, I don't even know why I'm here. Don't hurt me, miss!"

She barely shuddered by the quick change in his behavior, looking down on him in pride and dignity for the way the boy was begging her, unable to tell the difference between Yami Bakura and Ryu in terms of appearance, without the faintest idea of what she held into her hand, which was in fact the spirit of the Millennium Ring, the person she had encountered in the first place. She lowered her sword in a skillful manner and spat next to him, giving him the creeps of what worse might be done.

"Suffering from mental disorders? Should have guessed that prior to talking with you, filthy two-faced worm."

The boy looked at her curiously, both in fear and wonder, oblivious to what she meant. Instead he formed a discreet smile of entertainment due to the funny way in which she was murmuring, while changing various faces, looking almost hilarious for the fearsome fighter she seemed to be implied by her way of dressing.

"Do I look like an alien to you? Hello, I think we can both speak the same language, no matter how is that named in your world!" she protested ironically, just to make him giggle a bit more, then sighed and put her gunblade back, fed up by falling to such an annoying person.

Gillian sighed in misery, drew the gunblade back, bit her lower lip and raised her head to the direction of the sky.

"What crimes might I have committed to be surrounded by a stupid world full of jerks?" she hissed, and made the boy freeze. Eventually she offered a hand to help him stand to his feet, no matter how unusual it was for her to take pity of someone. Maybe because she considered Ryu to be suffering from mental disorders. She had put the Millennium Ring into her left pocket after kicking Yami Bakura, bearing no idea of it's capabilities. Neither was she aware of it's influence, which was even now slowly beginning to take over...

If it wasn't for it, the boy would surely have a hard time.

"Thanks for sparing me, miss, I'm Ryu Bakura, pleased to meet you!" he said in a thoroughly embarrassing smile while rubbing his head, blushed at the sight of a specific part in her body. Gillian noticed, there was no way he would get away from this.

"Don't be fooled, I wear one size bigger on my bra to feel more comfortable!"

The boy lowered his head in shock, of all the things in the world he'd never except to meet a female with such a dirty mouth, that made him tongue-tied, so she decided to break the ice.

"What's your name, miss?"

"It's Gillian Thunderstone, but what the hell, you're the one who called my name in the first place!" she replied, putting question marks over his head.

"Really? Sorry, I do not remember the tiniest bit of it."

_Fine, not only is he double faced, he also suffers from amnesia, what a boy..._ she thought inside her head, like most of the times she used to when someone dared to say something so dumb. All the more, she didn't want to upset an already troubled mind like his own seemed to be, therefore she did not mention more about this, instead she allowed him to go on with his blabbering.

"You must be new here, aren't you?" he wondered, only to recieve a sarcastic applause.

"Hello? Even a dog might have guessed that. Just ask something more... original, more complicated maybe? I'm a newcomer from far beyond this world, have nowhere to stay and all my Gil is just as useless here as your money would be in my country! What a destiny, you might predict!" she complained extravagantly, yet the boy giggled once again, something that was not offensive to her at all, therefore he dared to ask her one intriguing question:

"If you have nowhere to stay, why not come into my house?" he suggested, causing her blue eyes to pop out.

"What? First you try to make me an assassin, then go to bed with you? You can't be serious, man, are you?" she joked to his surprise by the unpredictable behavior towards him.

"Please, don't take me wrong, I do not mean any harm. Besides, how could I even dare something like that, knowing that you carry this...gunsword?" he murmured the last question through his teeth that almost sounded like a relief to her.

"It's a gunblade, never forget this name!" she snarled.

At least she wouldn't have to spend the night on the soaking wet pavement. It wouldn't hurt to rest once in a while in a comfortable soft bed, since she hadn't slept for actual moments of adventuring the new continents of the planet to where she had been, prior to finding herself here.

"Well, shall we get going?" she asked in unusual politeness, allowing Ryu to show the way to his home. They began walking the streets of the vast city, Ryu talking in his kind manners, Gillian not paying attention at all, unless hearing something of great importance.

"By the way, do you know what happened to my Millennium Ring? It's crucial to me because it had been a gift from my father. "

Apparently, he caught her attention by the reference of his ring, what was that called again? The Millennium Ring? What an odd name for such a jewel, she exclaimed inside her mind, though she had to admit that it piqued her curiosity to learn more about that thing lingering in her pocket.

"It's said to contain magical powers, guess it's some kind of a fairy tale. I've seen nothing about it!" he said cheerfully in complete lack of awareness what this thing was doing to him.

She was taken aback, for she believed in magic stuff; her world was magic too, in some ways. She could distinguish part of the truth of his claims, though she did not say anything about it. Just considering the probabilities of what kind of magical power she would be offered by possessing this marvellous item, made her reluctant to give it back, though not being allowed by her honesty to do such a thing, at the same time. Furthermore, she had a recollection of Bakura telling her that he possessed the body of a boy named Bakura. Could it be wrong of her to think of Ryu as a two faced person? Consequently, she decided to lie to him.

"Nope, not the slightest idea, but I'll make sure it will have been found by the morning." she lied in a promising voice, Ryu felt relieved in hearing that, therefore they kept walking the way to his home...


	3. Tight Rope

**A/N **_Italics_ represent Gillian's thoughts.

The underlined pronouns refer to a mysterious man whose name will be kept in secret for the suspense of the story, till later chapters.

* * *

_Delighting minds__  
with my shadow  
Rely on your way to grow  
You want to decide  
from your cloud  
You're lost in a world  
that I have to repair_

_You want it all  
the greatest smile  
Who wants to deny forever?  
You're made of ice  
I pay the price  
for all your unforgiveness_

_Enlighting lies  
with my shame  
Beneath the veil  
of your flow  
Don't try to deny  
with your mouth  
So fine it is knowing  
you're under the shade_  
_**Tight Rope, Lacuna Coil**_

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**~Chapter 3~**

**Tight Rope**

Once they arrived, Ryu wanted to show Gillian his house, unnecessary though it was to bother doing so at such an hour. In her opinion, it was the bed in which she was more interested, so she demanded that they went there. Ryu owned a lovely room, one that portrayed perfectly his personality. It showed a person that did not miss anything at all, apart from the usual absence of his parents; it was dressed in a mixed colour consisting of green and blue walls, a white wooden desk with a laptop placed on top, and also some space with a pillows scattered around, surrounding a small low table that had some kind of a small arena upon it, useful probably for some of this world's table games.

"You must be having lots of friends over..." she assumed clearly out of her mouth, Ryu smiled in a blissful way, that was his response, no more words could do any better for him. To her surprise, there was only one thing odd enough to draw her curiosity into asking him, though this question of hers might be really stupid.

"How come do you have two beds in your room? I choose this one to sleep!"

"Just in case a friend needs some hospitality. I even throw pajama parties now and then." he retorted in a polite voice.

She sniggered a bit, thinking it was way too childish of him to do such a ridiculous thing, but she considered the imminent possibility of being a bit older than him, which in fact would not come as a surprise at all.

"How old are you, Ryu?" she asked, shameless.

"I'm sixteen. And you? You look quite older, like a real woman in her early twenties." he commented.

She goggled at him, feeling as weird as if she had been an old granny compared to his surprisingly young age. But it could not be that simple, especially when that ancient spirit of him was in charge of his vulnerable body. One that surely would not resist being possessed, either. Ryu was an easy target, susceptible to evil spirit invasions by bearing such a kind personality, (which to her translated as weak-willed, but that was beside the point.)

"You guessed it right. I'm...21." she sighed in embarrassment, not accustomed to hanging around with young strangers like him, not only because she considered them immature, but foolish as well, though she had to make an exception, for this boy had began earning her liking towards him, in the friendly way of course.

Her heart (yes it's true, she owned a heart!) belonged somewhere it shouldn't, a forbidden feeling better left unspoken, untold, that's why she had abandoned her companions in the first place, and had chosen isolation over friendship. It was in the hopes of atonement for her unmentioned sin, reminded only by Yami Bakura, just to make her blood boil. She wondered how he knew so much about her, since he had never seen her before.

Anyway, it was better to let those ideas slip from her head, since nothing would come out of this. But then she remembered him, the man she had deeply fallen in love with, who used to think the same way as her... He was cold and tough, but he bore a heart of gold, a rough diamond, till she had discovered a terrible truth about him, thus abandoned him till she could alter her feelings. To make matters worse, it was not what it seemed...

"Goodnight Gillian, I mean, good morning. It's Sunday so please don't wake me up too early." he requested in a kind manner so sweet even she couldn't refuse, and soon he fell into a deep sleep, bearing a calm expression on his sweetly cute face, looking like a big baby, she might presume. Gillian closed her eyes for a while and tried to get some sleep, too. It was no use, though. It was weird for her to be able to rest for a while under the roof of a warm, welcoming house, next to someone so mysterious and innocent simultaneously, yet she felt unable to comprehend his double-edged nature. On no account should she let her guard down, be caught in her sleep by a possible change of Ryu, allow herself to become a fly caught in a spider's web like a fool.

"What a kid!" she thought, while recollecting her first memories of Yami Bakura, asking her to assassinate a big shot without even informing her who that man was. Though she was the one who had refused, now hesitation was running through her mind, bringing further chaos to her disastrous brain. She pulled the Millennium Ring out of her pocket, observing its fine details, the pure gold, the mysterious eye depicted. She was drawn deeper into thoughtful speculation, until soon she began, as if captivated by a mystique energy emerging through it, to think differently.

That assignment was nonsense, yet so tempting, if it was the only option available for her to return to the place where she truly belonged. The Ring had slowly but steadily started intoxicating her mind, awakening the part of herself she had once managed to banish for good while trying to become a better person. She had thought she had banished it to the point of no return. Nonetheless, nothing could be compared to the strong influence of that almighty ring, the power hidden within, not even her strong will could resist. She kept watching it, hypnotized, and then felt compelled to take action: she placed the strange eye upon her own right one; it was no later than that when two familiar voices spoke directly to her mind, agitating her spirit in their tormented voice:

"Gillian, it's us, the Brothers! We're imprisoned, but don't listen to him! Forget about us, just try to save yourself and don't go against your promise, you're not a murderer..." the voices were stopped abruptly, only for the voice of Yami Bakura to be heard, sounding more threatening than ever:

"This is the last time you'll be hearing of your precious Guardian Force, unless you have the job done."

Fury twisted her face, owing to the fact that she always had a soft spot for her Guardian Force, her one and only reliable companion in her harsh adventures. The most powerful ally a human could ever have, let alone when you could speak with them like old friends. More importantly, the Brothers represented something deeper for her, the significance of family bonds to which she always believed, probably because she had no family, and a human heart always aches for what cannot be obtained. Moreover, Brothers had saved her in critical times, when no human strength could achieve the impossible and prevent the inevitable consequences of being such a daredevil. All in all, she had no alternative but to accept, just to save her crucial companions...

"Think clearly girl. It's in your nature to kill, we both know very well of that, the point is you can't get away with it, so face it. It's just the pull of your trigger, one well aimed shot and you're out of this, so stop being sympathetic for someone you don't even know. And one more thing, give the ring back to my body. Unless you wish to honour me by giving me yours instead."

She made an angry face, admitting to herself that she had to obey him, then she went closer to Ryu and slipped him the Ring, witnessing the transform of Ryu to Yami Bakura, who rose from his bed and laughed loudly at her, forcing her to accept her defeat towards his frightening power, one that even managed to lock her guardian force to another dimension... She felt humiliated for one particular reason: she may have been a skillful jack of all trades, but she always preferred to act in her own way, if accepting each quest she had been tasked. This time it was different, because she had to play his rules, following certain commands to her utter displeasure, something that hurt her pride really bad. It felt as if there was a tight rope tied around her neck, getting tighter and tighter, causing her to choke gaspingly, she could do nothing but accept this mission. Besides, the victim was in no way associated to her, so she could not develop an emotional bond with it.

"What's the plan, Bakura? Tell me everything about the target. "She demanded icily, without further thoughts dominating her inner world, where feelings had no longing place in this rough situation.

"I see that you finally begin to show some nerve. Pretty remarkable of you, isn't it?" he smirked in satisfaction, pleased to have gained her approval in their cooperation, even by using cheap tricks.

"His name is Seto Kaiba, he owns a company with..."

"Wait, wait. Just wait! I'm not interested into learning his whereabouts, just want a brief description on his appearance and where to find him." she interfered in his talking, infuriating him for being interrupted, an offending gesture for which she had to pay the price.

"Shut up, imbecile mortal girl! You're to listen to everything if this is going to succeed, or else you'll be held responsible in case of a total failure." he threatened.

"Fine, tell me the fairy tale of the victim, it always starts with once upon a time..." she said in a relaxed way after she laid down on her bed, hands put together behind her nape under the comfortable pillow of the bed, legs bent in a cool way. No matter whom she was dealing with, she never lost her sense into getting on other's nerves, mainly because she was too cold and distant by her day of birth. Bakura formed a sinister smile, finding eventually the right person to talk, obviously glad by her eagerness to abide by his schemes.

"I just forgive your comments, it's not them I need, you see, only your skills are of use to me. Now, to the point. Seto Kaiba will be on the upcoming elections as a nominee for the position of the Mayor. Most of the citizens support him, but there are some who've suffered enough on his account, those are the ones who want revenge upon him, and there you come to fulfill their innermost wish. Latest information shows that he's about to make a speech in public, so there you make your play into shutting his mouth eternally, my little bloody fairy."

She yawned at his long talking; all of this was a waste to her.

"Appearance." she ordered in a bossy way.

"Tall, brown hair, blue eyes."

"Personality."

"Cold, arrogant, sarcastic, just look in the mirror."

A strange feeling washed over Gillian by the identity of that unknown man, reminding her of her own description on the one she loved, invoked by her memories...

_ "He's tall, brown haired, with a huge scar like a crater on his face!" her voice echoed hilariously when talking to a strange cowboy who wanted to join their company during their visit at the greatest city all over the world, named Esthar, where his father was in charge..._

_ In that city, their mutual hatred developed into a deep love, their first blissful kiss, only to be ruined by the tragic truth, one that could not be changed... _

She was hallucinating in some way, thinking of that man of her past; somehow comparing her target to him, to no use, for it was insane of her to do such a dumb thing. Characteristics meant nothing before seeing the actual person, and surely they would be totally different, even when descriptions made them look alike a bit. Just words, insignificant, without a reason, not even meaningful enough to be taken into consideration, though she did unconsciously, till it was high time she participated in the whole thing supposed to be a discussion on the killing plan.

"Well, I've never been into politics, my latest foster parents were, damn them. I must be a good teacher to you since you've gained some taste of humour." she smirked and then went on to say that bloody fairy was sounding rather amusing to her ears.

"Great, who would have thought we'd be able to get on well with each other." he said in a wicked manner.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's just a deal, I permit you to go on now." she retorted coldly and made him laugh despicably, only to keep murmuring.

"So, those guys want to win the elections for them, buy his company and increase their profits, what an original idea! Wish the author of this plot was more creative, don't you think? She said ironically while yawning due to lack of sleep and slowly began closing her eyes in exhaustion.

"It's a shame that even you need some rest from time to time, isn't it, pathetic mortal? He commented in a lame way, making her to open one eye.

"Yup, really pitiful, mostly when you're obligated to have a mortal host. Get the fuck out of here and allow Ryu to have some sleep. Oh! And don't wake him up bright and early, it's Sunday today!" she exclaimed before shutting both of her eyes, soon to produce a faint snoring sound coming out of her mouth. Yami Bakura agreed with her, once, indeed this mortal body of Ryu was in need of some rest, otherwise he'd not be able to exist, as a result he got to bed, too, closed his eyes and gave his place to Ryu while sleeping...


	4. A funny encounter

**A/N **_Italics _represent thoughts. Underlined pronouns refer to a man whose name will be kept in secret for the suspense of the story, till later chapters.

I've got to warn you that in this chapter some characters tend to be OOC.

**Kaiba's also bound to make his appearance in the next chapter.**

* * *

**~Chapter 4~**

**A funny encounter**

It had been only a few hours till the morning, but the experience of resting herself had been quite refreshing, enabling her to replenish the energy spent into various activities she'd been doing lately. She got up from bed, walking on the tips of her toes not to wake Ryu, and went to the balcony door. She drew the silken curtains that bore a greenish colour open just to enjoy the view beyond. No horizon could be found, for the vast buildings blocked the way, but fortunately the sun could still be distinguished in the east, radiating its very first rays for the new day to come.

_ At least, the sun always rises every morning, no matter where you are._ She thought in relief, grateful for the natural warmth. She felt her gaze drawn to the sleeping Ryu; he looked like an angel on earth kind, friendly, innocent, extremely different to that creeping alter ego of his, Yami Bakura. On one hand, she took pity of Ryu to be suffering from such a fate, on the other hand it was none of her concern, for she would sooner or later return to her longing adventurous place, where no building was blocking her sight in most parts of it.

She was a lover of nature, and delighted in exploring the endless green forests, the darkened, mysterious caves, the mystical temples haunted by guardian forces. At times, she would search for shelter in nearby towns or cities, (just for a change of pace,) and she would spend her nights trying to find and study old books about the myths and legends of each place she visited. Then she went right back, searching for hidden locations of unknown tombs, in hopes of finding some special guardian forces and gain more knowledge of the planet itself.

No, you wouldn't call her an archaeologist, mostly a wandering warrior that longed for travel and battles with fearsome monsters. Life was simple to her, though 'simplicity' often equated with survival and constant fighting. It was not until this day that she was faced with a more complicated quest; forced to break her promise for the likes of a vicious man such as Bakura. Nonetheless, she would do it. Killing Kaiba would prove a small thing when weighted against getting her crucial companions back, for she would do everything to the best of her abilities just to regain them. She sighed and shook her head.

Where did it all start? Why did it have to turn like this?

_ "Sorry about this, Sacred and Minotaur, but I'd prefer to disobey your advice rather than lose you, too, from my side."_ she thought miserably, in a rare occasions of vulnerability made by the intrusion of various feelings that would be considered useless under different circumstances.

She continued taking in the lovely view as she got out in the spacious balcony, watching the cars following one after the other, trains passing by, pedestrians making haste, heading for their jobs, even stray dogs chasing cats.

_ "I have to admit, this city's quite attracting, just like Esthar..."_ she nearly whispered aloud. She then decided to go back into the room to check on Ryu, who was still sleeping, bearing a calm angelic expression on his face. One that she would not enjoy ruining by waking him up, unless his Yami bothered doing so. Thus, for lack of options, she went to explore the rest of the house herself, hoping to find something edible to fill that annoying stomach that was demanding food in a loud, growling voice.

She stumbled upon the kitchen in a moment, opening the drawers curiously and finding various items: knives, forks, spoons and the like. Food itself could not be found though, much to her astonishment.

"What the hell does this boy eat?" she wondered, only to realize that the fridge was next to her. It was too modern to be compared to the ones of her own world, and she hesitated for a second, but then called herself some names in mockery of her childish trepidation and raised a hand to open it.

"How dramatic. Ugh, I hate those nasty eggs. That's disgusting, I'll throw up!" she mumbled, though did not give up her search, and eventually she bumped into something more interesting...

After a while, the doorbell rang cheerfully. She ignored it at first, thinking she lacked the authority to open the door, plus Ryu was in need of some vital sleep. There was a short pause, (in which she heard nothing, though she knew the visitor had not gone away,) therefore she had to take the initiative.

"Oh shit! And he told me not to be woken early. Now I have to perform secretary duties." she protested irritably and went to open the door, only to see a slightly short boy (compared to her), with strange tri-coloured spiky hair and vivid violet eyes. That was Yugi, one of Ryu's classmates who had been invited to play cards with him. Yet it seemed Ryu had forgotten all about it. And that wasn't his fault, of course. Bakura was taking control of his body a lot lately, that was for sure.

"What the hell do you want, kid? Ryu's sleeping." she hissed aggressively and shut the door right before his very goggling eyes. To make matters worse, the boy was not dissuaded. On the contrary, he went to introduce himself.

"I'm Yugi Muto; Ryu had invited me for a card game! I didn't know he was busy last night."

"What do you mean you didn't know? Don't take me for a fool! You must be in on the plan, too!" she frowned suspiciously at him, though he remained outside the door and could not see her.

"No I'm not! Ryu would never involve his friends on his personal moments!" Yugi's voice was heard in slight embarrassment, a dull retort that blew her top.

"I didn't have something with Ryu, you nosy pervert! I'm much older than him!" she retorted sharply.

"That's the point, you are experienced!" he replied cheerfully, in an immature way that annoyed her even further. She reopened the door furiously, only to have her gaze fall upon Yugi's cards. _That was the best way to skip this annoying conversation, _she figured, _by asking him if she could see his deck. _

Yugi was too kind to refuse in spite of the manner he had been treated, and thus allowed her to grab his deck and take a look, only for her to be disappointed by the sight of the depicted monsters.

"You know, we play cards in my world, too, but our monsters are scarier than that. Look at this guy dressed in that unworthy purple robe; he seems to be suffering from constipation! And this half-naked girl is supposed to be his chick?" she commented in a lame way that made Yugi grimace from surprise.

Obviously, he was terribly shocked by her offending comments about his all time favourite cards, wondering what was wrong with her. Indeed, she looked kind of strange; though it wasn't the first time he had encountered people claiming to be from different worlds, actually, though many of them could often be seen in psychological clinics! He smirked as a sign of politeness after he had gotten his deck back, then was allowed to see her own one in return, which consisted of even stranger monsters. His eye fell upon a green monster with many tentacles, huge bulb eyes and a sickening mouth, named Marlboro. He asked Gillian if the name was related to the famous brand of cigarettes.

"Really? Marlboro, you said? Well... no way. If fact, you wouldn't like to face such a thing in person, you wouldn't stand a chance against its special attack called Bad Breath!" she said in a childish boasting way.

"Wow! Is this Bad Breath so devastating?" Yugi asked, both in astonishment and curiosity.

"Yup! I had to throw some toothpaste at it so I didn't choke myself! One thing is for sure, both Marlboro and your so called Marlboro are associated to bad breath!" she giggled, resulting in a giggling Yugi as well.

"Oh! I forgot, my name's Gillian, an alien here, I suppose!" she exclaimed sarcastically about herself.

Yugi grimaced at the word "alien", for she looked completely human to his eyes, and stared at her meticulously to see if she had anything strange upon her. Nope, not the slightest detail. Yet he somehow believed indeed that she was from somewhere else, for his eyes had seen too many things during his dueling adventures.

"So, how come did you get to know Bakura? Seems to me you like boys younger than you!" he was interrupted instantly, but he was only teasing. All the same, it was still questionable to what a boy and a slightly older woman were doing in the same house, if not the most obvious thing in the whole world.

"Stop it!" she barked, extremely loud. "No way, pal!" then her eye took notice of his strange puzzle, a hunk of gold that looked like Ryu's ring; bearing the same mysterious eye.

"Don't tell me you've got a spirit hidden inside that puzzle too!" she yelled in such a childish way that Yugi took an expression of curiosity.

"Well, would you mind if I said yes?" he asked in apparent fear and smirked when she pulled out her gunblade.

"Nice sword you have there, it's fairly unusual. What do you use it for?" he tried to calm her in a clumsy way. Gillian grimaced funnily, wondering if Yugi was truly an idiot, or just played the fool to trick her and get her in hot water just like Yami Bakura. She held her gunblade on her right shoulder in a showing off fashion.

"Nothing in particular. I like cutting bread with it, or slaughter annoying kids that make silly questions!" she said not laughing, augmenting Yugi's anxiety.

"Well, I've got something to do; I'll come back a little later. Bye!" he yelled from a safe distance and vanished into thin air, running away from Ryu's house.

Gillian lowered her weapon and put her hand in her forehead, still unbelievable to what she had experienced a few moments ago. It was more than obvious that she had overreacted; she knew her behaviour was exaggerated, but what the hell, few times was she ever offered the opportunity to act like a kid herself, maybe because she felt odd to be surrounded by such little creatures. If she was not to have boy fun at all, she would definitely lose her mind over the whole insane situation.

"Out of character, zero points to be credited today." she murmured over and over herself.

Finally, Ryu woke up, wondering where Gillian was, and then headed downstairs to get some breakfast, only to find an almost empty fridge, minus the eggs. He stood in the doorway with his mouth open.

"Sorry, I just hate eggs, they suck! Could you please dispose of them for me?" she added hilariously. Not the slightest trace of annoyance was shown by Ryu, all the same, just was surprised at her appetite.

"No problem, dear friend. Did you have a nice sleep last night?" he asked politely in such a cute way.

"Hmmm...Yes, yes I did!" she retorted sarcastically, not willing to reveal to him the other side of himself and possibly upset him. For a while, all that she longed was to forget her task of killing Seto Kaiba, or find a way to eliminate that evil spirit torturing Ryu, for he was rather a good kid. She could appreciate his friendliness towards her, for the time being at least.

Ryu smiled sweetly, pleased to hear that he was of great help to someone in desperate need, even a stranger that had threatened his life. Fortunately, he wasn't the person that could bear a grudge against anyone, and had almost completely forgotten the latest incident, behaving as if nothing happened at all. No matter the slight pain he could feel on his stomach, not being aware of having been kicked so bad. After some time, he remembered that he had invited Yugi to pay a visit, just to have some fun by playing a few duels. Gillian gulped as she was drinking some water, almost strangled and choked herself at the mention of Yugi's name.

"I think he'll not be visiting temporarily." she said, gasping for breath, eyebrows raised in redemption for her immaturity.

Ryu politely required an explanation to her previous statement, and she informed him about Yugi's visit, adding that those duel monsters were really funny for a childish game and that she preferred real monsters to deal with, causing him to giggle, till out of the blue Yami Bakura made his appearance once more.

"Go scaring kids? That's pretty immature for someone like you, filthy bitch!" he yelled aggressively, causing her smile to disappear in an instant. He went on.

"Don't mess with my host. Otherwise they'll suspect me! And make sure you keep your distance from Ryu, the least thing you want is to get your feelings hurt once more."

_Hey, what is this jackass is trying to tell me? I'm not the person who would fall for __someone younger! Well, to be frank, it's the first time I got to like someone so quickly, but no, it's the different environment that shifts my mood, obviously. Ryu is a friend, that is that, no more no less. _She thought in a sceptical way, and then replied to Bakura.

"Thanks for the advice, next time we fight I'll make sure you'll have your ass kicked in the full sense of the word!" she warned icily to the evil guy that ruined her nice day, consequently she would go back to her normal attitude. Yami Bakura stayed indifferent by her threats, though he knew he had to watch his back, she was not to be trusted. It was that darkness emanating from her, something that implied that she had never shown her full potential, not the slightest bit of it, as she always tried to keep on a low but memorable profile.

"Bakura, tell me one thing. What makes you think you can trust me? Thinking that I'm desperately in need of your help to find the way back, or set free my guardian force? What if I knew of a way to dispose of you once and for all, enabling Ryu to go living a normal life?"

He smiled in a sinister way, knowing that such a way did not exist; all the same she had her reasons for stating this.

"It's simple, you wouldn't tell me if such an option was available, wise people don't talk that much, that is why." he shot back in precise confidence, adding that even if he was to believe she had found a way to pull it off, he would have sent her to the shadow realm before she even tried. Honestly, he had to confess.

Gillian sniggered at that, Bakura would never be honest to anyone, not even his own reflection; he was far too easy to read, though his powers were unpredictable. In any case, she still hadn't played her last card... For her, it was only a matter of time to find a way back, and she would do anything to get there, albeit she would try to go out of her way to eliminate that cruel bastard tormenting Ryu so bad.

Yami Bakura ordered her to go into Ryu's room and search in his closet, and she was taken aback by finding some clothes appropriate for her. She had been told they would match exactly her personality and come up to her expectations and needs. There she found a black top, a black pair of trousers with fine pockets, but the most fundamental of all was that impressive belt engraved with the Griever (Griever is said to be one of the most powerful legendary guardian forces, it looks like a silver lion) on the center of it, causing her spine to shiver by the reminiscence of the person who once wore such a thing on his neck, trembling by the thought that Bakura knew exactly what it meant to her. Thus he desired to torture her soul to death, for no real reason that she could discern, it was just his nature to make people suffer.

That thought made her consider the possibility that he was after her soul, he had claimed to be soul hunter, right? And what better could he ever find other than a soul that could communicate with such powerful beasts as the guardian forces? Before them, duel monsters meant practically nothing, in her opinion, ignorant as she was about their own purpose and existence...

"It's not your comments I need, it's your skills..." she recollected, presuming that those words of his must have had a deeper meaning, one that was before her very eyes, she just couldn't see, or even believe it.

_What if...?_ _No, that's really outrageous; no way could I ever do such a thing. They're only stupid cards, after all!_

No answer could be given to those harsh wonders. She took a deep breath. She had to regain her attitude, one reckless mistake and she most probably would join her guardian force in that so-called shadow realm...

"Speak of the devil, here comes the donkey!" she exclaimed, sensing Bakura's appearance into the room. She turned her back on him and asked how far he would go on with his insanity by providing her a belt with such a tremendous symbol.

"Just as long as you can bear, and fortunately, looking closer at you makes me believe that lately you have a tendency into becoming too emotional, haven't you?" he smiled ironically.

It was true, however, she had to admit, that thinking of the past was not of any use. Nothing could be undone. Separation was the key to redemption and deliverance, in order to forget those forbidden thoughts about him... her adorable, precious love that meant more than everything to her. At the beginning, he had been just annoying, yet she never hated him, just teased him, repulsed by that frightening diagonal scar on his forehead, calling him pathetic all the time for that trait of his.

She wouldn't permit anyone exploit her weaknesses, neither would she allow herself to be taken advantage of because one impudent person knew of her wrong-doing. After all, it wasn't really her fault, she was struck by the hand of destiny, and she tried to comfort herself, at least this particular time, just for once. Consequently, she gave him a deadly glare, smiling cunningly.

"Try the hardest you can, you'll soon realize you wasted your precious time. And I don't think you expect me to change before you, unless you want so desperately to get yourself a taste of my gunblade."

He shrugged in total apathy, turned his back and left the room without forming a single word; it was this gesture of indifference that showed it all. She had looked suspiciously around before she started pulling off her dark purple uniform. As she did away with the upper part the jewel around her neck was revealed; she hadn't seen it in a very long time, simply because it was hidden so well that even she had almost forgotten about it. She disrobed and put the black trousers on, adjusted the belt, and all was set. It was surprising that the clothes were exactly her size, but what would become of her gunblade?

"You won't need it for today." Bakura's voice echoed once again, after she had fastened her new boots. "You shall come with me to give you a tour of the city; in fact Ryu's the one who will do it, but stay alert and bear in mind that his body belongs to me." He warned in sharp voice, just to make her understand it would be wise not to draw unnecessary attention by letting words slip from her profane mouth, supposing they bumped into Ryu's friends.

"I can do it myself, you know, I don't need your help." she barked at him.

"Come on, don't be such a shrew, I thought we were doing well together. That kick the other day impressed me a lot." He chucked sarcastically, making her laugh loudly at him.

"I'm glad you liked it, it would be my utter pleasure to give you some more, if you insist on getting on my nerves. I'm going on my own, all alone."

"That's the spirit, now you're talking like your real self." he waved an ephemeral goodbye to her, though he was certain she would not try to escape from him or the city.


	5. Few hours away

**A/N **Italics represent thoughts. Underlined pronouns refer to a man whose name will be kept in secret for the suspense of the story, till later chapters.

From now on. Kaiba will make his appearance and will be included in every chapter.

Sorry for the long time it took me to update, I've got a slight **writer's block**, so I'll need some time till I get back my muse, even post the next chapter. Be patient and I can assure you it will get more and more interesting as the plot develops.

* * *

**~Chapter 5~**

**Few hours away**

Gillian left Bakura's house for good, fortunately she had quite a good memory by observing the surroundings, and thus it was easier to find the way back. It had been a very long time since she had walked around a place without her gunblade, a strange feeling. Insecurity penetrated the walls of her consciousness, since this place was so unfamiliar to her. At least she could never forget to carry her martial skills along with her courage, nothing could really scare her; it was just weird, nothing more nothing less.

"At least this city is less complicated than Esthar, that's for sure." she giggled, walking full of pride and self confidence, attracting the stares of passers-by with every step. Maybe it was her cold and so called wild beauty, or maybe just her way at looking at them in return, curious to predict what might they be thinking when their eyes met hers. All things considered, it was more than obvious she hadn't been in Domino before.

So full of life, so many people to meet and listen to their unique stories plus get acquainted to the myths and legends of this country. Surely it was a magnificent thing to do, if she had been gifted the ability to switch and travel between different worlds of her own choice, whenever she herself desired to, anytime, anywhere. Definitely, such ability would be formidably intriguing, yet supernatural. Already being able to talk with Guardian Forces other than summoning them in battle was pretty unusual and scary, plus Guardian Forces were said to be responsible for memory loss if used too much; nonsense, nothing like that had ever occurred to her, maybe because she was faithful enough to them.

She kept on walking without further thoughts about special skills, it was compulsory that she kept her feet down to earth; so many shops providing you with goods, such as clothes, food, shoes, cosmetics, only equipment could not be purchased, to her disappointment. All the same she considered it natural, no fiends might you encounter here: only in cards they could be found. Funny thing for her it was, too much peaceful moment may drive her fighting nature absolutely crazy.

She went downtown, till she found herself in a vast scenery, nearby buildings bearing enormous headlights and posters of the man named Seto Kaiba, her target! She watched the depicted face meticulously, his cold blue eyes, his dense light brown hair, his sharp chin, the only detail missing was how tall he might be, not that it counted, she would take on anyone when necessary.

"Well, he looks quite handsome, but on the grave you're nothing more than a bunch of bones." she thought in a macabre and realistic way at the same time. One thing was true about her: she took pity on him somewhat, just because he had done nothing to her. All that she truly ached for was to kill Bakura instead, without harming Ryu's body, which was almost impossible for all she knew, sadly. Her second thought was exactly what she had foretold herself: Kaiba bore no resemblance at all to the one she had loved, it was just the traits that made them sound they looked alike, in fact Kaiba's hair was lighter than his...

It was no sooner than that when the sound of a mobile singing was heard, and she was startled to discover that she had one in her own pocket. To her greatest surprise she decided to answer the call; it was Bakura, ordering her to wait at the place she was until he made his appearance, there was something she really had to see, he claimed.

"For all I care, you treacherous bastard." she answered him back, therefore kept on waiting impatiently. The least desirable thing for her was to spend more time with him, unless it got to be Ryu. Her little friend, that's how she considered him in spite of scarcely knowing him. Ryou had earned her respect by inviting her to his house though she had not asked him the other day, when she was wandering helplessly among this city's roads. And despite having threatened his life, despite humiliating him by spitting next to him like a bitch after she had kicked Bakura. Moreover, Ryou had not thrown himself at her, so her friendship was the least to be offered to him, he deserved even more, if she could give her own way.

"He's just my guardian living on this world... and the demon tormenting my mind simultaneously..." she caught herself to be murmuring accidentally when thinking of him, though she could not exactly define the strength of her feelings towards him, she only knew it was not the kind of love a woman feels for a man, yet this feeling was no less stronger than that.

Yami Bakura got where she had been in no time, there she frowned at the sight of him, while thinking of his counterpart.

"Excellent, silly girl. Another command of me you obeyed, though you've been offered freely the opportunity to flee from this city." he chuckled in a cynical way that made her blood boil.

"Hadn't it been for Ryou's body, I'd have made sure to erase you from the map once and for all." she stated abruptly.

"Ryou's gotten into you, or is it just a plain idea on my head?" he asked provokingly, interrogating her emotions addressed to his body. "It would surely surprise me that a person void of feelings just like me felt for someone as weak and stupid as him." he added in a wicked way.

"Oh, don't be so envious about that, you make me feel like a sexbomb, you know!" she said in both a sweet and sarcastic way, only to receive a shocking answer:

"Hadn't it been for your change, I'd love to have raped both your body and soul in such a torturing way that you'd be pleading for death before it was over."

She slapped him brutally, his face turned to the left in a snapping motion. He kept laughing wickedly, causing her blood to freeze by witnessing his dark thoughts, those abominable apparitions of his sickening mind.

"Enough fun we had already, let's get going now, slutty bitch."

He led her to a dark alley, where was the back entrance of a huge building, almost abandoned, no life energy emitting from it she could sense, having to stay strictly alert in case Bakura had further plans upon her, so he was allowed to walk first, being followed by Gillian. The interior was pretty dark, surrounded by endless stairs leading to the upper levels, where she was to be taken, she presumed correctly.

_Something's real fishy_. She thought in slight insecurity, mainly because she lacked her gunblade that particular moment, though she would not allow this frustration to emerge, neither to be shown to anyone. Bakura was ominously silent, creepy and fearsome when he didn't talk, for no one could anticipate what monstrous thoughts were hidden inside his creepy head. His silence was the most almighty weapon of his, for when he opened his accursed mouth, he was only words, and the same applied to Gillian as well, in fact.

"What's up there, jerk?" she broke the ice in hopes of hearing his talk however annoying it was, only for her answer to be repelled by more frightening silence that freaked the hell out of her, in some way.

"Already terrified?" he caught her off guard, amplifying this lack of confidence lurking within her.

"Not enough, I suppose. Is that all you've got?" she grinned funnily enough to provoke his fury, though not the faintest response was she offered, he just kept on going up till the end of those boring stairs, reaching at tremendous heights far above the ground.

Then, there was a door, faint rays of light slipping away from its rusty grilles. Somehow, it looked promising to her, though she suspected many would have thought of that. Bakura opened it and went in without showing the slightest trace of hesitation. Gillian was doubtful as to where she would be led from now on, but all the same she considered one simple thing: if this was a trap, no operation could be brought to success. And since he had his motives for choosing her, of all the people, to handle this, she figured he would not resort to foul play. At least, not yet.

So she joined him at the now luminous corridor that ran on to the strange room surrounded by holographs.

"What the hell! This room looks like the temples I've been in, encircled by the spirits of guardian forces that have passed away! What's going there? This can't be happening!" she gasped in apparent shock, considering the possibility of a connection between her world and that one where she was that very moment.

"It should not come as a surprise to you that your world is not the only one surrounded by mysteries." he told her in a faintly scolding tone.

"Really, use your brain. It's an easy enough thing to do, right?" he went on until they reached the center of the impressive room. The holographs burst to life, but it was not guardian forces the figures displayed, instead they were human ones, faces full of hatred and wrath banished into another dimension, along with someone who claimed to be her would-be victim's step father: Gozaburo Kaiba.

"Those people are some of the victims of that bastard named Seto Kaiba. First, he took over his step fathers company, then he used cheap tricks to get the three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards he owns, either by threatening the original owners or forcing them to commit suicide. It's rather dishonorable to gain something without struggling or fighting hard for it, isn't it, Gillian?" he told her in an intriguing way, anticipating the fact she would agree when it came to the word honor, which meant a lot to her. Anger filled her soul, one that was consistent to her morals, she grimaced at the thought that such people were still alive, even wondered how no one was capable of finishing Kaiba off for good before.

"Many have tried, but met the most terrible end, for he owns a global database displaying info for everyone walking this very earth. This is why you've been chosen, you don't exist here and we can use this to our advantage, Miss Thunderstone." he laughed in a sinister way, though she was starting to become accustomed to it and remained unaffected.

"And all that bloodshed for three stupid cards? That guy's nuts and absolutely immature, though his crimes are not. I still don't get it... Really! Cards..." she frowned sarcastically. "All they deserve is to be used as toilet paper!" she commented in a lame way, expressing full disgust about that target of hers.

Nonetheless, who was she to judge other people's deeds, when even she herself was about to commit such an inexcusable crime, without honoring her lust for a glorious battle with her opponent? A foul play, that's what it was, another sin to be carried on her back. This was worse than her previous one, unforgivable enough to send her spirit eternally to the gates of the flaming abyss, (for all that she cared,) all the same. There was only one thing bugging her: what was the reason for Bakura to get involved in other people's matters, considering the fact that Kaiba had done nothing to him, (as far as she knew,) and was as ignorant as she was about the truth? What could Bakura attain out of this conspiracy?

"Bakura, have you been given any credit for all of this? I can't see your part clearly, or why you've dealt with... dead ones?"

He formed a sinister smile, pleased by her curiosity into learning more about him. But that didn't mean he was going to comply.

"This is none of your concern, unless you want to become a participant into my further plans. I can only assure you one thing: This is only the beginning. A new world shall arise, and I'll be on the top of the highest mountain, just to see those stupid mortals fall in despair. You'll be here no more when this dream of mine will be granted for real, and so for the time being you offer me your precious skills... with this!" and she was handed over a sniper rifle hidden below the place he was standing. She nearly gasped, not due to its weight, but she wasn't really specialized in distant shooting.

The best shooter she had ever got to know was a young man, the one she had first met at Esthar, who was acquainted to _him_ and the rest of his companions, thus he had offered his willingness to join them into that epic adventure one year ago. Irvine was his name, a rather attractive, long, brown haired man with two perfect emerald eyes. He was stylishly dressed like a cowboy, always longing for the company of pretty girls, impressing them by showing off his shooting skills. He had been even the first man who had ever proposed her, only to feel the stony punch of her hand.

Irvine had once been tasked the operation off assassinating a sorceress by a sniper rifle, and now it was her turn to follow his example, however different the circumstances to be taken into comparison. She wondered what Irvine might say, supposing he knew of that mission of hers...

"Look, you must have picked the wrong person, I'm not so much into rifles." she objected.

"It's mandatory that you use this weapon, Gillian, for we'll need to aim from quite a long distance. Your gunblade's trigger is more similar to that of a gunshot, and can't do the job so exquisitely compared to this miraculous, charming tool. Isn't it adorable?" he chuckled in a cynical way.

"Yeah, I'll take it as a pet, feed it dry food, let it out for a walk, and so on." She tried to press him as to why couldn't he do it on his own, despite having already given an explanation. She persisted in this question just to make sure she was ready in case he ever nibbled the bait.

"It's no fun killing with that. I prefer breaking their bones little by little, one after the other, and then ripping them apart..."

"Enough, you're disgusting!" she interrupted fiercely.

"Come one, that's the sport of it! A little violence never hurt anyone..." he replied, rather amused.

"Then why don't you go and torture Kaiba? Why spoil all of your fun?" she pressed, confused.

"Because I've been bored to death lately!" He replied, shrugging.

"What? You're trying to say that apart from not existing in Kaiba's database, you called me just because of your boredom?"

"I'm just a humble evil villain, Gillian. I don't have to make sense."

"Fine." She huffed, suddenly letting the matter go. She was fed up by his nonsense. What he said was true, being evil requires not a specific purpose, and all that she wanted was to get out of this hell. However, she had a bad feeling about the whole thing, having seen those weird holographs, putting her into deep thoughts. There was very likely that they had some connection to the spirits of guardian forces, that was undoubtedly clear. But as to how, she could not tell. At least not yet.

All that was implied by witnessing such a spectacle was that both worlds are connected, somehow, thus she had to find of a way to dispose of Bakura (the sooner the better,) otherwise her own world might be put in jeopardy as well. If it wasn't already.

She put the rifle across her back, crossed her arms in boredom and waited expectantly for Bakura's next order, that surely would have something to do with the ideal place she would perform her criminal action. She was caught by surprise though, when he spoke as though reading her thoughts.

"I can clearly see you can't wait to learn where your task is to be executed." He smirked.

"You're too sure of that." She retorted, determined not to let her surprise show. "All I can't wait for is never to see you again, never ever, for I swear you'll regret the very day you were given birth!" she warned him, and he nodded, ironically enough.

"Keep this enthusiasm for your target, pathetic mortal." he replied in apathy, slightly entertained by her pointless threats, knowing she never meant it, thanks to him owning Ryou's body.

Half an hour later, they had reached their destination. It was a skyscraper not very far from the stage set to host Kaiba's speech. Posters and flashing lights gathered among the highest floors, which severely hindered her capability of remaining stealthy, especially at nocturnal times, but she was not worried. No one would notice, apart from Kaiba's security goons, and she knew she could avoid those.

"Afraid of heights?" Bakura teased, noting her pause to survey the surroundings. "Listen carefully, you have to get access through the seventy-third floor, this way you'll avoid most of the security that will be guarding the upper levels. Get rid of one's you'll meet to the best of your abilities, then find yourself the best spot to point your rifle without getting noticed, or else you'll be the one to suffer the consequences of getting caught."

"This won't happen, at least you're well informed about that." she retorted coldly, causing Bakura to laugh loudly at her statement.

"You're funny to the point of stupidity; I enjoy having you as a slave of mine. After the job is done, you shall get information on how to get back your guardian force, plus return safely to your beloved planet. The brothers know." He said, enjoying Gillian's furious expression to the fullest, when he dared to mention of her guardian force.

She raised an eyebrow and sighed miserably, wondering when this madness would come to an end. Not very long, she hoped, as she was informed the speech would take place tomorrow, leaving her without more time to think. She had to train herself really hard, maximizing her aiming accuracy beyond the average, no mistakes were allowed in the actual operation, not the slightest bit. It felt like walking on a minefield, where every step of yours is defined by pure luck only, a game of taking chances before the end of a cruel war, that's how it seemed that very moment.

"Get out of my sight now, Bakura. I need some practice. Alone. I'll come back when I'm done." She barked furiously at him. He left after he had laughed for one last time, for he knew his influence upon her mind, one that could not be tamed. He would never be far from her.

There she stayed, all alone; examining every single corner of the building by spotting the best places she could hide and strike the guards at the right time. She had to remain unnoticed at all times, and so she had also found ideal corners to hide the unconscious bodies.

She made a tactical plan inside her cunning mind, creating various scenarios, considering every probability and how she would react in any case. She was just perfect for doing this, undoubtedly gifted with a demonic mind that provided her with almost everything at the blink of an eye. On top of that, getting accustomed to the use of a sniper rifle turned out to be easy as pie.

"Too bad I haven't had something like that before! I guess Bakura was right. I'll get myself one when everything's over." she mumbled lowly, her hardened voice echoing through the empty walls of the level, a figure all alone lurking in complete desolation, just like she had chosen to live for many years to come. And now it would take her much more than previously expected, maybe a lifetime loneliness was ahead of her...

Darkness gazed upon the city of Domino once more, dressing it with the most bright colours of the headlights decorating the entire buildings; she could see the stage where her target would collapse, bearing a bullet on his most vulnerable spot, anticipating his last downfall. The crowd will be scared to the bone, running away for their lives in full panic. Others will be immobilized by terror and shock, as if waiting for their own ending to approach, too. Little did she care for all those useless details. She allowed herself to think only about the mission, and the implications of her success. Though it was inevitable not to think that, no matter her preparation, never before had she attempted something quite like this.

The crescent moon was sending its soothing light across the sky, one that was lost and engulfed by the blazing headlights. Back on her world, there was no place hiding that magnificent floating object that shone so bright and clean, promising the world that even in the darkest place there's always a ray of light to guide you, a mystifying glow to accompany you wherever you are...

For a while she watched it, her icy blue eyes flickering from anger and despair consecutively on the grounds that tomorrow was the big day, and she would be dismissed by that abhorrent man, once everything was over. Finally, she found a well protected place, not easily detected by human eyes and she hid the rifle. It would be really provoking to walk the city along with that weapon; therefore she abandoned the building and took the long way back to Ryou's house.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere far beyond the scene of the would-be assassination, a black limousine was crossing the road, drawing the attention of nearby drivers. Nothing could be seen through the black tinted windows, yet everyone knew who the man inside was: Seto Kaiba, the richest man in Domino City. The one who owned a multi-billion dollar game company, many theme parks around the world, and now desired to gain more power by becoming the Mayor. Not that previously he lacked authority in political matters, his opinion always influenced the most important governors, his domination was apparent, it was just now that he had desired to state that officially by his participation on the upcoming elections.

The citizens would support him, either because of fear for his influence, or just because it made no difference at all to them. Including his countless fan girls, the ones who were extremely crazy about him despite his repulsion towards this category; never had he felt to be in need for someone's company, let alone for silly girls that bore no idea or the slightest interest on technology, and that was that.

His deep blue eyes were gazing at an exhausted Mokuba, his younger brother who was catnapping next to him, making Kaiba slightly annoyed by the fact he had extended his small legs towards him. Not that Kaiba didn't love his brother, in fact he adored him, but that was not the best thing to do in front of others, he had an image to maintain for himself when being close to strangers, even when that stranger in that particular case was the chauffeur. Thus, Kaiba tried gently to move Mokuba away from him, and kept on watching outside with a faint smile, thinking that Domino would soon be his own, exclusively now, then he would aim for the position of the Prime Minister in the near future, eventually, becoming the ruler of a whole nation, that was the least he deserved. Arrogant and greedy, that's what he was, a man always thirsty for power and domination, using whatever means necessary just to achieve his own goals, and raise even more his boastful ego.

His mobile phone rang then, quite unexpectedly. He got it out of his pocket and formed a grotesque expression, for he could not see who the person was, neither the dialing number.

"Impossible." He frowned, since the dialing database had been installed to his cell phone, allowing him to know of every number and person whenever he wanted. All the same he answered the call.

"Mr. Kaiba speaking. Who dares to call me?" he ordered aggressively.

"_You need to reinforce your security for tomorrow's speech._" The strange voice warned him, causing him to toughen his own.

"Thanks for informing me, but that's not something new. Just tell me how did you get this number? In case you don't know, this call is recorded; once I load your sample the database will match your voice, revealing your identity as well. The rest is up to you, if you're wise enough to give up." he threatened in a thunderous voice that woke up a terrified Mokuba. He blinked up at him, wondering what was going on, yet Seto made a gesture to show his younger brother that he had to keep silent for a while.

"_Listen to me, Seto Kaiba. You gotta be careful, for you'll be struck just when you don't expect it. Stay alert, unless you want your brother to mourn before your very grave._"

That threat could only result in a laughing Kaiba, though deep inside he knew something was wrong with that voice. He could not tell if it belonged to a man or a woman, but one thing was for sure: someone wanted to play silly, funny, games with him, and he wasn't in the mood for that.

"Nice joke you have there! What's the punch line? A bomb in my microphone? Or a pathetic gunman from far beyond my sight? No one can harm Seto Kaiba! On the contrary, it's quite the opposite. I can spare your life if you beg me enough to consider that." He thundered, and snapped shut the phone. That joke had gone too far, and surely he was quite the hot-tempered person.

Mokuba gazed at him in anxiety. Though he was aware that it wasn't the first time his brother had ever received threatening calls like that, he always feared of the possibility that someone might be able to get to him one day, despite his well positioned security consisting of brutal and fearsome guards escorting him tight in every step of his. That phone call must not have been one of the usual ones, Mokuba could sense for a reason yet to be explained. A misty cloud of worry shrouded his innocent mind, Kaiba could surely see that, thus he comforted his little brother by saying it was an amateur hoax, nothing to be taken seriously indeed.

Mokuba formed a smile of relief by hearing that, he always trusted his older, wiser brother beyond any doubt. The same applied to Kaiba, too, for Mokuba was his only family, his one and only friend to whom he could show a totally different aspect of himself, that of a loving and a caring person.

After a while, the limousine reached its destination. The luxurious Kaiba mansion where the two brothers could find some peace by resting themselves and spend time together after the frantic schedule they had. They got out of the car, which was taken to the basement garage by the chauffeur, then headed to the entrance where the vast door was opened by one of the servants, who took a bow and welcomed home the two bosses, informing them that dinner was served. Mokuba perked up and jogged inside, Kaiba seemed to have much less of an appetite so he walked in an indifferent, relaxed way towards the dining room. He made some small talk to Mokuba, ate a bit of the food and headed to his office, skeptical, determined to search intensively about that call he had received.

He sat on his comfortable modern office chair, turned on his sophisticated laptop, then opened one of his drawers and got out a connection USB cable. One side was connected to his cell phone, the other to the laptop, allowing him to transfer the file of the recorded calling to his computer. Then he executed a voice watching program which was connected via Internet to the central system, played the file, and let the search begin. He crossed his arms impatiently, the process was really slow and numb despite the updates done to the system, and he was growing tired of the long time taken to establish an accurate result. Finally the system stopped, only to fall upon an empty screen, displaying that no results could be found within the entire database.

"What's wrong with that? I should fire all those useless lazy programmers before I even bothered trying this pathetic file!" he murmured loudly, complainingly, assuming that he wasted too much money on losers who worked under him. Therefore, he went in his basement where a more advanced computer was lingering. Once he stepped into the room, the lights went on and a voice was heard.

"Welcome mister Kaiba. What would you like me to do on your behalf?" the female digital voice of the computer asked politely, exactly the way it had been programmed to do.

"I want you to search within every system and provide me with info about the file I'll upload to you."

The voice obeyed to his commands and began searching all over the world for a correspondent voice, yet to no avail, surprisingly enough. He began to wonder if it was high time he did it on his own, manually.

Once again, nothing, despite the filters used to clean the file and represent the real tone of the voice, (that presumably belonged to a male,) but the worst was yet to come. The high frequencies were at last able to indicate that it did not belong to a human being at all!

What was happening all of a sudden, just a few hours before his first speech? That was no good at all, if fact, that was too insane to be dealt with. Kaiba couldn't believe such nonsense, yet it was too late to do anything about it now and he had more important things to do. So he ventured to his office and kept on working till the break of the dawn...


End file.
